Arafat won't attend Arab summit
GAZA, March 25 (UPI) -- Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat will not attend this week's Arab summit in Lebanon. Palestinian officials Monday said the Palestinian leader would not travel under restrictions set by the Israeli government. Three Palestinian militants died Sunday night in a hail of Israeli gunfire near a Jewish settlement in the Gaza Strip, the latest of the day's mounting casualty toll, just before a trilateral security meeting was held between Israeli and Palestinian security officials under the supervision of the U.S. peace envoy, retired Gen. Anthony Zinni.
Arab League chief warns of chaos
BEIRUT, Lebanon, March 25 (UPI) -- Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa on Monday warned of chaos and confrontations in the Middle East should a "just peace" with Israel fail to be achieved. Moussa, who spoke during a meeting of Arab foreign ministers in Beirut, said the Arab summit this week comes at "a very critical and delicate" time. "It is related to the future of this region: either justice, peace and progress or huge chaos and confrontations whose results could not be predicted," he said.
Bush promises free-trade benefits
SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador, March 25 (UPI) -- President Bush promised Central American leaders he would seek free-trade policies that would help underdeveloped and emerging nations in the region rise out of poverty, boost job creation and spur foreign investment. Bush landed at the Comalapa International Airport in San Salvador on Sunday from the Peruvian capital Lima on the final leg of a four-day sweep through Latin America. He was received by President Francisco Flores when he arrived in the Salvadoran capital for a working lunch with Central American leaders. Bush's plans for a continent-wide free trade area topped the agenda.
'Mind,' Berry, Washington win top Oscar
LOS ANGELES, March 25 (UPI) -- A commercial hit about a schizophrenic math genius was the big winner at the 74th Academy Awards -- the same night Denzel Washington and Halle Berry made history by becoming the first black performers ever to win the Oscars for best actor and actress in the same year. "A Beautiful Mind" won four Academy Awards, including best picture and Ron Howard's first directing Oscar, despite being subjected to a whisper campaign about the way it handled details of the life of its central figure, John Forbes Nash Jr. Berry became the first black performer ever to win for best actress. Washington became the second black ever to win for best actor. The first was Sidney Poitier, who won for "Lilies of the Field" in 1963. Poitier received an honorary Oscar Sunday.
Iron deficiency may impede exercise
ITHACA, N.Y., March 25 (UPI) -- Relatively healthy women who begin exercising but have disappointing results could be iron-deficient, suggests a new study released Monday in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Researchers say paying close attention to iron can pay off for women hoping to improve their fitness.
McAfee.com rejects offer from Network Associates
SUNNYVALE, Calif., March 25 (UPI) -- Anti-virus services company McAfee.com Corp. Monday said it has rejected a $211 million buyout offer from computer security provider Network Associates Inc. as too low. McAfee said that a special committee of the board of directors and its advisers Morgan Stanley determined Network Associates' March 16 offer to acquire each outstanding Class A McAfee share for 0.675 shares of Network Associates stock was "financially inadequate."
Stocks decline in Tokyo and Hong Kong
TOKYO, March 25 (UPI) -- Stock prices on the Tokyo Stock Exchange extended their losing streak to a third session Monday in lackluster trading, pressured by some profit taking in heavyweight technology issues. Stocks also lost ground in Hong Kong; Seoul, South Korea; and Sydney, Australia; but rose in Taipei, Taiwan. Japan's blue-chip Nikkei Stock Average of 225 selective issues, which fell 181.70 points Friday, lost another 83.99 points, or 0.7 percent, to 11,261.09. The broader Topix index lost 3.42 points, or 0.3 percent, to 1,073.20.
ATLANTA, March 25 (UPI) -- Kansas and Maryland, both seeded No. 1 in their region, joined Oklahoma and Indiana in the Final Four Sunday as the college basketball world now focuses on Atlanta and the Georgia Dome. Nick Collison and Drew Gooden provided dominating inside strength during the second half to carry Kansas past the Oregon Ducks, 104-86. Juan Dixon and Lonny Baxter then combined for nine clutch points in the final four minutes in boosting Maryland to a 90-82 decision over Connecticut.
Capriati wins, two high-seeded men lose
MIAMI, March 25 (UPI) -- Juan Carlos Ferrero and Yevgeny Kafelnikov, two of the top three seeds in the men's draw, crashed out of the $6.44 million NASDAQ 100 Open on Sunday. Jennifer Capriati, the top seed in the women's event, won, working her way through a dangerous third-round contest. Adrian Voinea of Romania upset No. 2 Ferrero, 7-6 (8-6), 1-6, 6-2, and recorded the biggest upset so far at the second Tennis Masters Series event of the 2002 ATP Tour. Former Miami champion and 32nd seed Marcelo Rios of Chile eliminated the third-seeded Kafelnikov, 6-4, 7-6 (7-4). On the women's side, Capriati overcame 10 double faults and rallied past No. 32 Anastasia Myskina of Russia, 3-6, 7-5, 6-2.
